Silloth Railway: A Celebration | Carlisle Library's Local History Talks 

I was on that last train to Silloth. My mother was a Silloth lass, married to a Carlisle man, my father, and always told me that she took me on it at just one year old. As I got older I became familiar with the remnants of the line, cycling out and exploring the little roads west of Carlisle. We even used to go "brambling" as a family to Port Carlisle on the route of the old railway tracks. I hope that the history hasn't been completely erased and that those little bridges over the line that still existed in the 70s and 80s as well as the route of the line itself are still preserved. I wouldn't know as I live abroad now and haven't been to Cumbria since 1999.

My father worked for British Rail at Abbey Station and we lived in Abbeytown. When the last train left Abbeytown Station the guy who waved the train out of the station with his wagon lamp turned to me and said "Here you are Edward, this is for you" and handed me the lamp. I still have that lamp today. On that sad day, I remember the linesmen putting detonators on the track just before the station to put on a bit of a performance. I even had the privilege of riding on the footplate to Silloth from Abbeytown on a number of occasions. Probably not allowed but all the guys knew me.

Well presented

I remember going to Silloth on the Train and staying in a caravan. That was when the RAF were just withdrawing from the airfield and before the holiday park. It was a sad day for Silloth when the line closed and it started a long slow decline. When I was older I can still remember going for days out at Silloth in a Triumph Herald car and going through Thursby and Wigton. Got my bucket and spate from Winters on the corner and made sandcastles on the beach at Allonby. Happy, sunny, carefree days....!

Thank you for sharing,

What an amazingly good video! I barely recall Silloth from a couple of visits in the late 60s, but this was really informative and brought back some memories!!

Brilliant video - I have a photo of me as a toddler on a roundabout at Siloth approx 1964 It shows the little summerhouse on the hill - We have been to see Siloth last week thanks for this video

This is great, thankyou Sir.

Very interesting, thank you

Excellent social history presentation and thank you for such a good potted history of the Silloth line. However, a few maps would have been useful so that non-local people could get a baring on where the line ran, with the spur to Port Carlisle. Additionally, a few contemporary shots would have been interesting, to see 'then and now'. However, thanks again and a fascinating insight to another of Beeching's axe-jobs.

Excellent

Thanks very much for your excellent video. My great grandfather John Gardner was Chief Engineer of the SS Yarrow. On his retirement on 21st February 1919 the officers and crew presented him with a ship's bell mounted to silver holder. It's on my mantlepiece! Our family owned a large (6 ft) scale model of Yarrow which was in a shop window in Eden Street. Why in a shop window? Because my grandmother Isabella was widowed at a young age and she had to sell it. My mum inherited 12 Eden Street when Isabella died. When I was a boy and into my early teens we would visit when there were no tenants. (We lived in London). She later moved permanently to Silloth in 1986. My bedroom overlooked the station and the bowling green. I remember steam locos and shunters. I remember the The British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units which featured glass panels just behind the driver such that boy might think he was the driver! And yes, there were a few pennies spent getting my name stamped on those metal strips. My mum was at school with Johnnie Grey, Gray or Graham? He had the donkey rides on the green and would let me ride the horse featured. I wonder if we have more recollections in common? At 12:27 the photo is of Mr Longcake's beachside café. We would play cowboys and indians and jump from the dunes onto the roof. Mr Longcake was always quick to play sheriff and we scattered pronto when he chased us off. I don't know if he had both places, but in my early teens he had a café with a jukebox just under the Solway (now Golf) Hotel. I rather think its a kebab and pizza place now. Did you ever walk over the lock gates when they were shut. Or be a tearaway moving one railway wagon from one place to t'other? (Surprisingly easy when there's a few of you). I think though my fondest memory was when a Russian grain boat, sides scrapping the lock gates, was docked and unloading its cargo. They used giant vacuum pumps. We didn't help much by jumping feet first from the quayside into the grain. I reckon twelve to fifteen feet with the consequence of ending up armpit deep. Health and Safety. What's that?

Nice video. As someone else said, well presented and enjoyable to watch.

Great film, one error - the Cinema closed in 1975. I remember going to it and in 1972 I was 2 or 3.

Love it

Many lines and sidings at Silloth. Did they serve to meet more than the needs of the coal exporters, Carr's factory and the passengers?

I have to mention that the Majestic Cinema in Silloth most definitely DID NOT close in 1972,as we as kids went to see many films there,including Digby the Biggest Dog in the World,made in 1973. long after it's release.

What a shame the canal wasn't opened to Liverpool

Thanks for making this video, my Dad is from Silloth and my Aunt still lives there, I had no idea it used to be a big holiday destination, next time I go up I may have to go and try to find some of the remaining sights from the line

Labour wrecked Silloth closing the line down